How Much Does It Cost to Educate a Child?

When you think of how much your child’s education is going to cost, you probably think of the expenses you cover yourself. From school books and uniforms to daily lunches, transportation to and from school, and extra educational materials at home, the costs add up quickly. But what about the costs you don’t cover? Things like teacher salaries, school maintenance and repairs, taxes, and more; someone has to pay these costs, but who?

If your child attends public school, the majority of the cost of his or her education will likely be borne by the government, including federal, state, and local sources. While your taxes help support public education, they represent only a portion of the actual cost of educating a student each year.

Depending on where you live and the quality of the local education system, you may be wondering where all of that money goes. In this article, we'll discuss the average annual cost to educate a student in different states, as well as some of the ways your tax dollars are spent.

This video from The Cato Institute examines the cost of public K-12 education.

Annual Costs for Public Education by State

Spending varies drastically for public education from one part of the country to another. States such as New York, Vermont, and New Jersey consistently rank among the highest in per-pupil spending, while states including Utah, Idaho, and Arizona remain among the

When it comes to schools in the United States, the biggest differences lie in the gap between public and private school. What many people do not realize, however, is that there are many different subcategories for each.

For example, a charter school is an independently run public school that has greater flexibility than a traditional public school. Charter schools still need to meet state standards, but a significant portion of their curriculum and operation is influenced by the school’s “charter” – a performance contract that details the school’s mission, as well as the students served, specific performance goals, and its methods of assessment. As modern reform continues to shake the foundation of the United States education system, a debate about charter schools has risen to the forefront.

In theory, charter schools exist to provide underprivileged students with access to better education. The primary question, however, is whether charter schools inadvertently support segregation. Keep reading to learn more about charter schools and how they are changing the face of the U.S. education system.

Understanding the Basics Of Charter Schools

According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS), there are roughly 6,900 charter schools in the United States. Though they are technically public schools and therefore open to a wide range of students tuition-free, charter schools work differently than traditional public schools. A charter school operates under an independent contract (known as a “charter”) in front of an authority such as a government agency,

Introduced in the early 2000s, the Common Core State Standards Initiative is designed to ensure that students across the country receive a similar quality of education. The initiative set specific standards for what students should know at the end of each grade with the goal of making sure that every student has an equal opportunity to attend college after high school.

Since its introduction, the Common Core State Standards Initiative has encountered a great deal of controversy. In some ways, it may benefit students to have a more structured education, regardless of where they go to school. In other ways, however, the standards don’t always work for every school or every student. One of the biggest problems with the initiative, however, is its emphasis on standardized testing.

As one of the major tenants of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, standardized testing has a significant impact on the nation’s educational system. Keep reading to learn more about how standardized testing affects teachers and teaching quality.

This video provides an evidence-based overview of some issues associated with standardized testing.

What is the Deal with Standardized Testing?

According to the Common Core website, the Common Core State Standards Initiative is, “a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematical and English language arts/literacy” that was created to ensure that “all students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life”.

If you attended a public school in the United States, you have probably taken a standardized test at some point – probably a lot of them. Testing is one of the most common ways to evaluate the efficacy of an education program, though it may not always be the best way. One of the most well-known education programs that makes heavy use of testing is the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative, more commonly referred to simply as “Common Core”, was introduced in the early 2000s, though many people still have a poor understanding of what it is and how it has affected the nation’s school systems. This system has been in place for half a decade and yet the jury is still out on whether it works or not.

Whether you have detailed knowledge of what’s going on in the nation’s education system or not, you are probably aware that the most recent presidential election has led to some big changes. Keep reading to learn about the history of Common Core, its future, and whether or not it really works.

This video offers an explanation of Common Core.

A History of Common Core

According to the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the Common Core State Standards Initiative is, “a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy,” also known as ELA.

If your student attends public school, you are undoubtedly familiar with standardized testing. Standardized testing is designed to determine the effectiveness of a school’s curriculum and teaching staff as well as the degree to which students understand core concepts.

Many public schools administer standardized tests annually in grades 3 through 8, particularly in math and English language arts as required under federal education law. These assessments are primarily used to measure student progress and school performance, though results may also influence school accountability ratings and improvement plans.

With so much riding on these tests, it is no wonder that many students develop test anxiety. Anxiety over testing can turn even the smartest, most intelligent student into an F student. But what is test anxiety and how do you deal with it? Keep reading to find out.

What is Test Anxiety?

Test anxiety is widely recognized by psychologists as a condition in which students experience significant stress before, during, or after an exam, often interfering with their ability to demonstrate what they know. This level of stress makes it difficult for the student to do their best work – it even causes some students to freeze up entirely and to forget everything they’ve learned. Research suggests that a significant percentage of students experience test-related anxiety, with studies indicating that roughly 15% to 25% of students may struggle with moderate to severe levels of test anxiety. Understanding what test anxiety is and how it affects students is important for both